Eurodam Sept 1 Our Story

[2B AT C]

I was on the Eurodam with you but don't think I had the pleasure to meet you. We are from Ottawa.

I am really enjoying your story - can't wait for the next installment.

Did you see 'the green man'? If so I hope you write about him!!

If anyone else knows what I am talking about I would love to know what you know about him if anything??!!

 

Judy

[WeLoveCruising]

Colleyberry,

I love your writing, thanks so much for sharing with us. Cant wait to read more!!

 

8373Seth,

RuthC is correct about the air conditioning. There are signs on the doors, as well as in the daily program asking guests not to leave the doors open.

[COLLEYBERRY]

I was on the Eurodam with you but don't think I had the pleasure to meet you. We are from Ottawa.

I am really enjoying your story - can't wait for the next installment.

Did you see 'the green man'? If so I hope you write about him!!

If anyone else knows what I am talking about I would love to know what you know about him if anything??!!

 

Judy

 

I absolutely am going to write about the "green man:" I plan to but him in the next installment.

I meet a lovely lady from Ottawa( I think I had on a red blouse) in the lineup for Justin Millers' CD. We talked about my brother being a lawyer in Ottawa( Nepean area ),was that you???Also there was a nice couple from Ottawa, at the bus stop for the Breakers.

I was going to but out a request for info ,as well.I know nothing ,other than he was most bewildering.

[bepsf]

Colley--

 

What wonderful writing...

...and I'm glad that you got to meet Pam - She's a doll!

[happy cruzer]

Nice review. I am quite enjoying it. We did Canada/new England with Princess and shared many of the same experiences. We walked from the dock in New Port to the Breakers then the Cliff Walk then back to the dock. Next time the bus for sure. We too had a bit of lineup for tenders but it did move. So you can see, you relive it for many of us. I do keep my eyes open for a chance to cruise with HAL with a visit to Montreal ( oh well someday, I hope).

 

Thank You.

[RuthC]

I've never heard that before. I've only cruised on Princess and we always leave the door open at night (we've never been at the stern). There has never been anything posted or mentioned in paper work about this. Where did you hear this?

 

The more I think about this the less I understand what you are saying. You are saying that every time we open the balcony door the air conditioning for another cabin is turned off? So during the day the air conditioning is mostly off because people will leave their balcony doors open? I can understand the cruise line advising you to close your door due to safety reasons but not for air conditioning. In other words, why should my door being open affect someone else's air?

I'm not an engineer, so I can't explain the "why"; but I can give the "what"---and that is that if anyone leaves a balcony door open it affects the A/C in that cabin, and all other cabins on the same line. Cabins are not like individual A/C window units---they are more like central air. There are several cabins on the same line.

Your balcony door is not supposed to be left open during the day or night. Anyone who wants to enjoy the fresh air is supposed to open the door, exit to the balcony, then close the door behind.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Colley - Your fabulous review convinced me to book the Eurodam for the 11/1 sailing. I did it tonight and...lo and behold...there was an aft cabin still available on deck 5. :D I was in an aft on my last cruise in April and it spoiled me rotten so I snatched this one up as fast as I could...running to grab the credit card out of my purse in fear someone would get this coveted spot before me. For those of you who haven't sailed in an aft cabin, you simply must put do it...there's no words that explain the peace and beauty...

 

I'm lookng forward to the rest of your review!

 

Diane

[usha]

I'm not an engineer, so I can't explain the "why"; but I can give the "what"---and that is that if anyone leaves a balcony door open it affects the A/C in that cabin, and all other cabins on the same line. Cabins are not like individual A/C window units---they are more like central air. There are several cabins on the same line.

 

Your balcony door is not supposed to be left open during the day or night. Anyone who wants to enjoy the fresh air is supposed to open the door, exit to the balcony, then close the door behind.

Ok, I really hope that's the end of the hijacking of this (otherwise) lovely thread.:rolleyes:

[RuthC]

Cheese it! The cops! :eek:

[COLLEYBERRY]

Colley - Your fabulous review convinced me to book the Eurodam for the 11/1 sailing. I did it tonight and...lo and behold...there was an aft cabin still available on deck 5. :D I was in an aft on my last cruise in April and it spoiled me rotten so I snatched this one up as fast as I could...running to grab the credit card out of my purse in fear someone would get this coveted spot before me. For those of you who haven't sailed in an aft cabin, you simply must put do it...there's no words that explain the peace and beauty...

 

I'm lookng forward to the rest of your review!

 

Diane

 

Diane,have the most wonderful cruise.:) I have seen on other ships' deck plans, that the aft balconies seem so much deeper,that must be heaven.

We are such novice cruisers our taste is probably not as discerning as that of cruisers who have taken many voyages. I am afraid ,I am just so happy to be out of a lab coat,and away from every day stresses,that my critical meter registers 0. I hope you do find the Eurodam as enjoyable as we did. H:) ppy Sailings.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Diane,have the most wonderful cruise.:) I have seen on other ships' deck plans, that the aft balconies seem so much deeper,that must be heaven.

We are such novice cruisers our taste is probably not as discerning as that of cruisers who have taken many voyages. I am afraid ,I am just so happy to be out of a lab coat,and away from every day stresses,that my critical meter registers 0. I hope you do find the Eurodam as enjoyable as we did. H:) ppy Sailings.

 

Oh my Colley, I'm in the same boat (pun intended:) ) as you. My cruise in April was only the second one I've ever taken...the first was 25 years ago and I was 6 months pregnant.:eek: I'm just happy to get away from the every day stresses of corporate America. BTW - I work in the health care industry, too.

 

Diane

[COLLEYBERRY]

Well my life is under.control once more. Gardens are happy( relatively weed free), fridge is full , and the house is in order( it seems so much quieter when polished and vacumed,) There's still laundry,but if a gal can't flip a couple of loads while doing a little typing,than what is she made of??:)

Before we begin,I realized when I reread my last post that I had spelled acquire , as aquire, twice:o If you'll forgive any ,spelling ,gramatical,and typo errors( that rusty tool box again) I'll try and proof read more carefully.

Yesterday, I left the computer on at the CCsite and would periodically check in(does anyone else do this,or do I have a problem?) I felt like Al Pacino in the Godfather " I try to get out but they keep pullling me back in"LOL

May I say once more, your supportive comments are very much appreciated.You have been kind and generous in your feedback and I do thank you. Now on with the story.......

Let me explain about our 'ships' day'. Before this cruise,our only other cruise had been a 7day Alaska cruise last August(breathtaking)

We felt as though we had just gotten into the rythm of cruising ,when our voyage was over.There didn't seem to be enough time to really take in the ship itself.So on this cruise we decided to take a day and experience the ship when most were ashore . We choose Boston because we had visited this wonderful city in the past .

Let me just say Boston, as a port on an itinerary , has everything a cruise passenger would want. Very walkable full of charm and history all the while being an exciting city.

I read a shuttle is available at the ships terminal.

Home of Harvard and MIT , the Boston Common. and the Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail a journey (especially poignant for American passengers)where you are introduced to the places and the characters that help forge so much of Americas' idenity. Geez, maybe we should have gone ashore.

Had we known, Miss Hurricane Hannah, would result in another sea day ,we might have made a different decision.However , I must say there is a special feeling to the ship, when you have her mostly to yourselves.

Our plan was to do things we hadn't done on our first cruise.

Such things as ,eat breakfast in the dining room,actually watch as we pull into port ,check out the ships' bell, and have a good walk through the ship as the saying goes "from stem to stern".

On the Eurodam we wanted to investigate the infamous cabanas and try the dim sum lunch at the Tamarind( no charge)

We had both brought "please don't talk to me " books ,so maybe scout a quiet place to read. I wanted to take the art tour via Ipod. I ended up doing that ,the day Hannah said "hi'( very enjoyable, more about that later)

Folks we had some kind of power surge and my computer went wonky.

I don't know if this much has been lost, I am afraid I am very computer illiterate ( DH is out)so I am going to send this and hope it gets through.I didn't want to continue writing and find at the end it can't be sent. How ticked would I be?? Sorry for interruption of flow. It will be quite a while till I get back ,it takes most of the day for me to write an installment. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Here goes!

[COLLEYBERRY]

WHEW!! Thank heavens. See ya later!,:) Colley

[Jo-Bob]

Ok, I really hope that's the end of the hijacking of this (otherwise) lovely thread.:rolleyes:

 

I don't consider that a 'hijack' of a thread whatsoever. Sometimes questions come up on a thread, and require a response. Ruth was kind enough to answer the question......what on earth could be wrong with that? Would it have been better to not answer the question? Demand that it become another thread? No one is required to police the content of a thread, beyond the moderators.

 

I too am very much enjoying this wonderful read...let's not bog it down with petty critisisms.

[usha]

Sorry, I didn't mean to criticize Petty.:D

[KLLund]

Colley

Now that is a teaser of monumental proportions .. sigh .. are you sure you don't write serialized novels for a monthly magazine ????? (If you don't, you should consider it in all that spare time you seem to have LOL)

Waiting almost patiently .........

[COLLEYBERRY]

Sorry about that. continuing.....

The ship wasn't docking until 9.00am. We ordered coffee, from inroom dining ,to have while getting dressed.

We were having breakfast in the dining room .I was going to have Eggs Benedict ( something else that doesn't happen much in real life.May have happened more than once on this cruise ,had I known about the breakfast card trick; For those who missed the post, apparently you just write Eggs Benedict on the menu card and they to will appear.) and DH was looking forward to the Belgian Waffles.

Having breakfast delivered to the cabin is wonderful,but having it served to you in a pleasant dining room also has it's charms.

The staff were attentive yet unobtrusive, They seemed to know , that in the morning, a gentle interaction was most appreciated . The dining room was not busy , perhaps we had missed the rush, or people were getting ready for their shore excursions.

I very much enjoyed my eggs , a little melon ,and my day was off to a fine start. DH and his waffles ? Well ,let's just say ,he was a happy boy.

After breakfast, we went up one deck, and took the promenade(any chance I get:) ) to the front of the ship. It was another beautiful day ,for our cruising pleasure.

Back inside, elevators took us up to a deck with a wonderful vantage point, for viewing the ships' docking

We had front row seats ( actually teak deck lounges), We were practically alone ,maybe five other people..We walked about and looked out on Bostons busy sea port.

The Black Falcon Terminal was to our left . To our right ,large cargo containers were being stacked one atop the other, handled as though they were toy blocks , I couldn't believe the height they were reaching .A crane ,with a huge claw ,was adeptly puttting each container in it's place . I found it fasinating to watch. I thought whoever was operating that crane, well , it most definetely wasn't their first time.

As impressed as I was with the crane operator, when I saw what Captain van Donselarr( I assume he was at the helm) was about to do, I was in awe.

Now , I knew the man could drive, because he had been the captain for our first cruise, on the Zuiderdam. But when I saw where he had to dock the gigantic Eurodam . Geezy Peeps !!!

You must remember,this is being viewed by someone who thinks parallel parking should be an Olympic event.

Seriously, the berth(pier??)seemed so narrow , it felt as though there were only inches to spare on either.side.

We took our places for the show , relaxed on our lounges ,the ship felt as though it was barely moving forward . How in control of a huge vessel would you have to be ,to have it behave so very delicately. ?

Then ,to our surprise ,the second show began.

Our own private air show. Aircraft of all sizes and types,which we assumed were destined for Logan Airport, began flying over head.

. There were large carriers,private planes and small carriers much like Captain Cautious' 40 seater, that had brought us from Toronto to New York.

It was exhilarating .I felt like those people ,who go to an airstrip and lay on the hood of their car and watch the planes come in.

One huge aircraft flew so close overhead it took my breath away. I have never been that close to a moving jet. The windows of some planes were so visible ,I waved. Although I couldn't quite make out people,I am sure they had a good view of us.I imagined them thinking ,well isn't she friendly.:D

Captain van Donselarr brought Lady Eurodam to a perfect stop. I thought there should be applause or something, like in a plane when the landing has been difficult. .I was very very impressed

This ships'day begining, had been in a word....cool.

Our next stop, the Retreat Cabanas. During our cruise I didn't see one person using either the Retreat Cabanas or the Lido Cabanas.There may well have been ,but I didn't see any.

There were attendants at the Retreat Cabanas ,asked if we could have a look and they were most obliging.

I must say the retreat cabanas did hold some appeal for us. I liked the corner cabanas Costa del Sol and Capri.If you were travelling with family or a couple of couples, they would be a lovely spot for every one to be together. . They looked so inviting ,it seemed a little sad no one was using them.

The Lido Cabanas did not appeal to us,I think I would feel too much on display. They certainly do take up space ,that can't be denied.

However ,for a family with children poolside ,they would make a great "mission central" I quess time and the warmer climate cruises will determine their fate.

From the Retreat Cabanas, we set out to view the ships' bell.

I had not taken note of the ships' bell on the Zuiderdam and thought it would be kind of neat to have a look at one.

Rev.Neals' review had said ,you could get to the bell ,through a door on deck five . Sure enough just like he said , we found it,, no problem. It was at the very end of the hallway ,as far forward as you can go

.We opened the door and stepped up and over a large sill. Stepping out on the deck ,there it was ,just below us.

Noble in its' solitude .It had white metal framing around it.

I thought about trying to get a little closer but I wasn't even sure we should be out there. Like naughty kids ,we took a photo and got the heck out of there.

DH said "How did you know how to get here?" (I had merely told him to" follow me" that I knew the way to the bell. ) Research, dearheart ,research:)

The the ship does have a familiar feel to it, I found I could find my way around nicely.

The Atrium houses a light fixture/ chandelier/art work , that is most unusual. I have heard it discribed as many things.( one of which I can't get out of my head) You can find photos of it on the Eurodam blog and judge for yourself. It is different and certainly gives people something to talk about. The floating glass staircase is lovely.Quite a sensation as you walk up or down.

It was at the glass staircase that I first encountered ,the gentleman in green.

His apperal was most unusual. He was wearing what appeared to be a kimono like robe( well sort of). It was however, made of what looked like a vinyl tablecloth( very thick) or a tarp , in a shade of teal green. It was not garment fabric.

When I saw him walking up the staircase ,the first thing that came to mind was 'spa treatment.'As odd as that may sound, I felt a little vindicated in my reaction ,when I over heard , a women expressing the same thought to her friend,later on in the cruise. DH, when he first saw him ,thought he might be a New Age priest..He had many people intrigued. He seemed comfortable and at ease with his choice of outfit

Frankly the why of it ,is in truth, none of my business.He added some interest to the story of our cruise, and what ever his story maybe,I sincerely hope, he enjoyed himself aboard the Eurodam, as much as we did.

Our dim sum lunch ,at the Tamarind ,was a huge success .We enjoyed ourselves so much, we had dinner there twice during the cruise.

The Silk Lounge ,soon became our place of choice ,to go for a quiet drink ,before dinner. During the day you couldn't find a more serene or tranquil place to read a book.

The Tamarind dim sum lunch, if you are not familliar with Pan Asian food.,would be a wonderful excuse to be adventurous. There is no extra charge, the menu is set so you don't have to wonder what to order, and the charming waitresses will answer any questions you my have.

We love Thai food ,and from all the rave reviews we could't wait to go.

DHs' prowess with chopsticks is truly amazing .I however am a barbarian when it comes to the skill. No matter, the Tamarinds' flatware

is lovely , it feels sleek and elegant in your hand. The plates and all other dishes are white( I think food always looks its' best plated on white) with a distinct Asian feel.

If you go ,you will be astounded at how these tiny ladies, seem to carry these dishes with such ease and speed. They are an outstanding staff ,each has a gracious demeanour and a beautiful smile.

The atmosphere is very pleasant ,we felt most comfortable.

Please try the wasabi (do not be alarmed, not hot)soy encrusted beef tenderloin , on the dinner menu( med, rare ) it's beyond tender. The dressing for the salads are delicious ,what these people do with lemongrass should be illegal. I am salivating as I type.

During our lunch DH( who thinks himself a bit of a Spice hero) was throughly enjoying the cuisine and sampling each of the fusion dipping sauces in it's turn. The sauces and their ingredients had been carefully explained to us by the waitress. One of them was warned to be very hot.( believe them when they tell you) After two bites the fire suddenly ignited. I swear he looked like that cartoon where the red starts at the neck and rises to the top of the head. He was in trouble...eyes watering ..gulps of water...gulps of wine,... all the while maintaining his composure so as not to attract attention. Through a will of steel ,no one was the wiser,the heat finally abated. I just smiled sweetly and said" she

warned you.

When I told a friend this story, she said that when her husband and she first began dating ,they went out to dinner,and he inadvertantly took a forkful of horeradish thinking it was mash potatoes.( ligthing must be have been dim) She still married him.

DH knew what he was eating ,he just underestimated it's thermal power.

Our afternoon was very relaxing , reading and another siesta. (bliss)

Leaving the port of Boston .

The captain again performed his feat from this morning ,only this time it was in reverse.

We watched the show from the privacy of our balcony. People were fishing off the pier.

Sail boats and fisherman in small boats seem to lay in our path. Do you guys know how big we are? Clearly they were used to the comings and goings of cruise ships because the deftly got out of the way .

The ship left the dock as quietly and gracefully as she has arrived.

Dinner and a show were on the agenda. We opted for dinner at seven again.I don't remember what we had because for some reason it didn't make it into my journal,but I am sure it was good :) We took the promenade to the front of the boat, inside, I usually pop into a washroom to adjust the wind swept look. Speaking of washrooms , the washrooms throuhout the ship are lovely .Very contemporary decor, fresh floweres and spotless. Don't worry I wasn't in them all.LoL

This evening we chose to sit, for the first time, in the box seating. Perhaps not the best view of the stage,but I enjoyed the privacy and the ability to chat to DH without distrubing anyone.Most evening thats where we sat in the box to the left of the stage as you face it.

The show was entitled Nightlife. High energy with,very talented singers.

Costuming and sets were great . I always admire how they can but on a show in the confines of a ship.

One day, we met one of the male singers on the promenade I don't know his name, a wonderful singing voice .He said he was married to the Japanese girl in the cast(beautiful). Nice fellow.

After the show ,Piano Bar check in,and you guessed it, promenade back home.

Our ships' day, may not be everyones cup of tea but it worked for us.I could feel my self unwinding more and more with each passing day.

Tomorrow was St. John N.B. , we 'd be back again on Canadian soil.

We spent some time with the wake and stars and said farewell to New England........... to be cont'd.

I

[COLLEYBERRY]

Colley

 

Now that is a teaser of monumental proportions .. sigh .. are you sure you don't write serialized novels for a monthly magazine ????? (If you don't, you should consider it in all that spare time you seem to have LOL)

 

Waiting almost patiently .........

 

Sorry about that, I honestly thought the whole thing would be lost .:D Where are kids and DH when you need them??:) Thanks for all your nice remarks.. Tomorrow is work ,I am pretty spent by the end of the day,I don't work Fridays so I'll try for another post then. Once again you have been very kind. Colleen

[seafun]

Your description of the cruise is great fun and I'm enjoying it like a fine wine, a few sips at a time.

The day exploring the ship was delicious! Thanks again for sharing it with us. :D

[COLLEYBERRY]

Your description of the cruise is great fun and I'm enjoying it like a fine wine, a few sips at a time.

 

The day exploring the ship was delicious! Thanks again for sharing it with us. :D

 

I have had so much fun,doing this. ! I am sitting with my coffee about to get ready for work.I am loathed to leave CC.

I have been away for 4 weeks (gawd knows what I will find). It's back in the saddle for me. Thank you starting my day so nicely. Colleen

[sapper1]

Loving your well written reviews!!! Don't forget that when you do the Saint John review it is always "Saint John" and never "St. John"!!! But as a good Canadian you knew that didn't you?;)

[usha]

Tomorrow is work ,I am pretty spent by the end of the day,I don't work Fridays so I'll try for another post then. Once again you have been very kind. Colleen

Friday?!!! No, we can't wait 'til FRIDAY for the continuation!!!:eek:

[Flick]

Guess we will have to. Bummer!!!

[COLLEYBERRY]

Loving your well written reviews!!! Don't forget that when you do the Saint John review it is always "Saint John" and never "St. John"!!! But as a good Canadian you knew that didn't you?;)

 

I promise ,it won't happen again.:) I saw the big white sign ,you told me to look for. and wondered if you were watching us sail in. We had a lovely time in SAINT John . Thanks for your kind comment, Colleen

[COLLEYBERRY]

Friday?!!! No, we can't wait 'til FRIDAY for the continuation!!!:eek:

 

You are too funny ! We always know when it is you, the 'Lady in Pink'.

 

I don't know if I am going to make t'il Friday. I am not sure, but I think they're trying to kill me at work. :D Cruising ,is way more fun.:)